STEP Standard 7 – Reflecting on Instruction to Improve Student
Progress
Improved Practice Based on the Unit of Study
Based on the experience of developing and delivering your instructional unit, list three short-
term goals to improve specific areas of your teaching practice based on the unit of instruction
and describe your plan to reach each short-term goal.
Short-Term Goal
1. Continue to strengthen my confidence
in the classroom.
2. End of year crazies call for a new
classroom management technique.
3. Impress my CT while she is out on her
upcoming vacation in two weeks.
Plan to Reach the Goal (i.e., professional
development, research on the Internet,
observation of a veteran teacher, etc.)
This has been a goal throughout my student
teaching experience that I want to continue
to work on reaching. I have already grown so
much since walking in just a few weeks ago,
however I want to continue to strengthen my
confidence. This has worked for me through
practice, question asking, online research,
observing other teachers to see how they
gained confidence, and more.
This is a goal my mentor teacher and I had
been discussing the past week or so. I had
noticed a shift in student engagement at the
same time she noticed the shift as well. We
came together, discussed, and she stated that
towards the end of the year this is typical for
students. She gave me the job of researching a
new classroom management technique that I
can implement not this week but next. I have
spent and will spend more time researching
different classroom management techniques
for the class as a whole and will implement it
in the near future.
In two weeks, my CT has placed the
responsibility on me to run the classroom
while she is away. This involves all the
teaching I am already doing, but also small
things like taking attendance and entering
student grades. I have already had practice in
all areas of the classroom; however, I want to
continue to impress my CT leading up to her
vacation and while she is away. I plan on
showing organization, communication, and
professionalism. I want to go above and
beyond what is expected of me by doing my
 own research and asking plenty of questions.

Long-Term Goals: Teachers who are dedicated to their profession and to improving the lives of
students will continually look for ways to grow and learn. The best way to ensure that learning is
prioritized is to create a long-term goal. Create one long term goal that is specific and
measurable. Make sure to discuss the following:
Long-Term Goal: Apply, interview, and obtain a contract to teach in the 21/22 school year.
Rationale: Why did you choose this goal? How I chose this goal because getting my own
do you expect it to improve the outcomes of your classroom next year is what I have worked the
future students? past 5 years in college for. I want nothing
more but to begin my own teaching journey
and get into my own classroom where I can
begin to impact student lives. I plan on
researching local districts, obtaining letters of
recommendation, going to local teaching job
fairs, and more. This will all improve the
outcomes of my future students by ensuring I
am their future classroom teacher.
End Date: By when do you expect to accomplish I expect to accomplish this goal by July. I
this goal? have already started to gain my letters of
recommendation and apply for different
positions. Once I begin interviewing, I hope
to blow the interviewer away and obtain a
contact in early July, if not July than before
the upcoming school year.
Action Timeline: What steps will you take to 4/15/21- Finish obtaining letters of
complete this goal, and by when will you take recommendation
them? Example:
5/1/21- Have applied to at least 10 local open
1/31/18: Join AACTE classroom teacher positions
5/30/21- Begin interviews if they have not
already been done.
6/5/21- Take PRAXIS exam and finish
obtaining teaching license.
6/20/21- Accept Position/continue applying
and interviewing.
7/1/21- Sign classroom contract for 21/22
school year
Resources: What resources are available to assist Resources include my mentor teacher, current
you in accomplishing your goal? school I am student teaching at, current
principal, indeed/other online job application
sites, and more.